A Magical Weekend in the Vercors: Hiking, Bivouacking and a Super Guide

“Mountains became my compass when I no longer knew where home was”- Lemeria.

Some trips stay with you because of the destination. Others stay with you because of the journey.

My first multi-day hike in the Vercors will always belong to the second category.

We left on a Friday and returned on Sunday, carrying our lives on our backs for three days: a tent, sleeping bags, food, water and everything we thought we might need. And I had one considerable advantage. As a Kenyan still learning the language of the French mountains, I had my super guide.

Where Is the Vercors?

For readers outside France, the Vercors Massif lies in southeastern France, between Grenoble and the Drôme Valley, stretching across the departments of Isère and Drôme. The region is famous for its dramatic limestone cliffs, deep valleys, alpine meadows, dense forests and one of France’s largest protected areas: the Hauts Plateaux du Vercors Nature Reserve.

Unlike many mountain destinations that revolve around reaching a summit, the Vercors invites you to wander. Its trails are less about conquering a peak and more about immersing yourself in the landscape. Our route took us between Chichilianne and Gresse-en-Vercors, following part of the GR91, one of the most iconic long-distance hiking trails in the region. Over three days, we covered roughly 30 kilometres, crossing forests, meadows, limestone plateaux and rocky mountain passes.

Day One: Chichilianne and the Beginning of an adventure

The trail began gently enough. Backpacks adjusted. Boots tightened. Walking poles in hand. There is always a particular excitement at the beginning of a multi-day hike. You know that you are leaving the comforts of everyday life behind.

There will be no comfortable bed. No restaurant. No hot shower. And strangely, that is part of the attraction.

The first kilometres allowed us to settle into our rhythm. Conversation flowed easily. The landscape gradually changed. Before long, we were surrounded by the spectacular scenery that makes the Vercors so unique.

The Landscape Never Stops Changing

This was perhaps my favourite part of the entire hike. The trail never became predictable.

One moment, we were walking through forests filled with mountain pines. The next, we were crossing vast open meadows where the summer heat had transformed the grass into shades of gold. Then, almost without warning, enormous limestone walls appeared.

The Vercors doesn’t unfold in front of you. It reveals itself gradually. Every turn introduces a new landscape. Every climb offers a different perspective.Then there is Mont Aiguille. Impossible to ignore.

Standing proudly in the distance, it almost feels like a guardian watching over the entire region.I found myself looking for it repeatedly throughout the hike.

Let’s Talk About Those Backpacks

If you’ve never attempted a multi-day hike, allow me to offer one small piece of advice. Pack lightly. Then unpack half of what you thought you needed. Because backpacks become heavier with every kilometre. A tent. Sleeping bags. Food. Water. Extra clothing. Cooking equipment.

At home, every item seems essential. On a mountain trail, you begin negotiating with yourself. Do I really need this? Why did I pack that? Was the extra sweater absolutely necessary? The mountain has a remarkable way of teaching simplicity. And by the second day, I had developed an entirely new appreciation for every gram I was carrying.

The Refuges: Small Shelters With Big Personalities

One of the things that makes the Vercors so special is its network of mountain refuges. Along the trail, we passed Refuge des Chaumailloux and Pré Peyret, two shelters that have become important landmarks for hikers crossing the high plateaux.

For anyone unfamiliar with hiking in France, a refuge is a simple mountain shelter. Forget luxury.Think wooden tables. Bunk beds.Basic facilities.A roof. Most importantly, a place where exhausted hikers can rest. There is something reassuring about discovering these refuges in the middle of an enormous landscape. They remind you that others have walked these same paths before you.

The Slippery Descent

One particular section of the trail remains vivid in my memory. Pas de l’Aiguille trail (Sentier du Pas de l’Aiguille). It is part of the GR91 route through the Hauts Plateaux du Vercors. So one ought to be careful as the path narrowed. Loose limestone covered the ground. The slope became steeper with small loose limestones. For me and my super guide, the landscape became secondary. Every step demanded complete attention. The conversation stopped. We slowed down. One careful step. It was one of those moments that reminded me that mountains are beautiful, but they also deserve respect.

Sometimes, the descent is far more challenging than the climb.

There Is No looking pretty in the Mountains

I should probably confess something. There is absolutely no glamour in hiking. There is no makeup. No carefully chosen outfit.

No perfectly styled hair. You sweat like a cow…… The mountains don’t ask you to be polished. They ask you to be present. Perhaps that is why I find them so liberating. There is nowhere to hide.You simply become yourself.

A Heat Wave, a Forest Fire and a Thunderstorm

The timing of our trip made the experience even more memorable. That week, France was experiencing its second major heat wave of the summer. The landscape reflected it. The grass was dry. The earth looked thirsty. And forest fires were making headlines across different parts of the country.

Then, during our first night, the weather suddenly changed. Thunder and lightning began rolling across the mountains.

Rain started falling against our tent. And somewhere in the distance, we could see what appeared to be the glow of a forest fire, perhaps somewhere toward the Drôme. The contrast was impossible to ignore. Fire. Rain. Lightning. Dry grass. Storm clouds. The mountains reminding us that nature can be both beautiful and incredibly powerful.

Sleeping Through a Thunderstorm

I wasn’t expecting a thunderstorm to become one of my favourite memories. Yet it did. There was something strangely magical about lying inside a small tent while listening to the rain. The thunder echoed through the valley. The fabric of the tent moved with the wind, somehow, instead of feeling afraid, I felt grateful.

Grateful to be there. Grateful for the experience. Grateful for the reminder that some of life’s most beautiful moments happen far outside our comfort zones.

The Morning After

The next morning, I unzipped the tent and stepped outside. And the view stopped me in my tracks. The storm had disappeared.

The mountains looked as though they had been washed clean overnight. The air was cooler. The light was softer. Everything felt different.The landscape was nothing short of magical. I also understood why hikers return to the Vercors again and again.

Better Than Any Five-Star Hotel

Later that evening, at Pré Peyret we sat outside the tent looking at at a sky filled with stars. And I remember thinking that no luxury hotel in the world could compete with what we were experiencing. A tiny tent. Fresh mountain air. Silence. An endless sky. A view that money simply cannot buy.

Five stars? The Vercors offered far more than that.

Practical Information for Anyone Wanting to Try This Hike

Region: Vercors Massif, southeastern France
Route: Chichilianne – Pas de l’Aiguille – Refuge des Chaumailloux – Pré Peyret – Gresse-en-Vercors
Trail: GR91
Duration: Three days (Friday to Sunday) we started our hike pretty late in the day but that is the beauty of summer.
Distance: Approximately 30 km
Type: Multi-day hike with bivouac
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Don’t forget: Plenty of water, warm layers, a waterproof jacket and an offline map, good sturdy hiking shoes.
Important: Check the weather and current bivouac regulations before leaving